Display sign



"May8, 1928. 4

o. C. DURYEA DISPLAY SIGN 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1924 ZH H lrrakusrs May 8, 1 928: 1,668,636

0. c. DURYEA DISPLAY SIGN Filed July 1. 1924 I 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 WW.CaM fW +M May 8, 1928. 1,668,636

. o. c. DURYEA .DISiLAY SIGN Filed July 1. 1924 3 Shouts-Sheet 3 INVEMTOR ATrO/PNE Y6 Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

O'I'HO C. DURYEA, E KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

DISPLAY SIGN.

Application fil d July 1,

door-case to apply thesign thereto, and as these si nsare usuallyapplied to the entrance oors of business places, the cutting of the door ordoor case in installing the signs renders a new door or door-case necessary if the sign is removed. Moreover, would-be users are hesitant about applying the sign to a door or door-case when such cutting of the door or case is involved. Furthermore, where such cutting or material defacing of the door or door-case is involved, the cost of installation is much increased and requires mechanics of a high grade to install the sign;

The object of the present invention is to provide a sign of the general character in dicated which may be applied to the door or door-case without cutting or removingany,

part of the door or case and Without defacing the same, and furthermore, to provide a sign which may be easily and quickly installed by an ordinary mechanic, to the end that the expense of the installation shall be.

reduced to a minimum.

With these objects in View, the invention,

generally stated, consists of a sign carried by a suitable sign-casing, which casing is at-" tached directly to the face of the door or doorcase, an .electric lamp or lamps in said sign-casing, together with electric circuits leading to an outside source of electrical energy under the control of the swinging movements of the door or door closure, to the end that the electrical current may be switched on and off by the opening and closing movements ofthe door, all without cutting into or defacing the door so that, if said sign is removed therefrom, the door remains practically uninjured. By thus mounting the sign and the illuminating lamp therefor in a sign-casing, all that is required for the same to beinstalled is to attach the sign-casing and the switch for controlling the circuit to the face of the door or the door-case, and install the necessary electric circuit.

The sign may be of any desired or suitable 15 form, suchforexample as a sim 1e si or a of signs arranged to be roug '1: into 19,24. seam. 723,691.

use step-bystep at each swinging'movement of the door, or otherwise; a a

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is herein shown a rotatable element which presents step-by-step a series of signs at each swinging movement of the door, the rotation of the said element being preferably controlled by electrical means likewise under the swing-ing movement of the door. ,By the use of such rotatable sign,

a a difierent advertisementmay, if desired, be

shown and illuminated each time the door is opened, but as hereinbefore indicated the sign may, if desired, be a single sign which is shown and illuminated at each closing movement of the door, without departing from the broad spirit of the invention. a

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, some of which, for the purposeof llustration, are shown in the accompanymg drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims .for this purpose.

In said drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary ele. ation of a door-frame. and door viewed from the ins1de, showing my invention installed thereon;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the door, looking from the right of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3is a fragmentaryelevation of the door viewed from the outside, showing an illuminated sign or advertisement; r

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, the Sign or advertisement not being illuminated;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale, showing a door-operated switch;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the switch shown in Fig. 5; a

Fig. 7 is afront elevation of the sign box on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View through the sign box of Fig. 7

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are sectional views on the respective lines, 9 9, 10*10 and 11-11 of Fig. .8;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional detail showing operative connections between the armature of an electromagnet and the sign drum; a 6

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are elevations of another-term of deer showing a sign box installed thereon and a modified form of switch.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates a door of any suitable form, here shown as mounted by means of hinges 6 and 7 on a door-frame 8 above which is disposed a transom 9. A sign-horr, constituting the sign-casing and designated broadly at 10, is supported on the outer side of the door,

- preferably at a height in the line of vision of persons entering the store or establishment where the device is installed. The sign-box may, however, be mounted on the door-case or upon an independent support, or otherwise positioned within view of persons passing in and out of the building. Said box comprises a base 11 to which is secured a cover 12 provided in its front face with an opening 18 in which is disposed a plate 14 of glass or other transparent material.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 811, inclusive, 15 designates a carrier in the form of a reel or drum, here shown as hexagonal in cross-section, the sides of said drum being perforated to provide stencilled advertising legends visible on plate 14 when the device is illuminated in a manner hereinafter described. The drum is telescoped over a fixed reflector casing 16 secured at its lower end, as by solder or other suitable means, to a bracket 17 extending from base 11 of the box. The upper end of drum 15 projects through an annular opening in a bracket 18 extending from base 11. Rollers 19 and 20 mounted in annular grooves at the end of the drum bear upon annular portions of the reflector casing whereby the drum may rotate about the casing and present stencilled signs or legends successively at opening 13 of box 10.

Electric lamps 21 and 22 are mounted in suitable sockets 23 and 24 secured on the ends of reflector casing 16, and as here shown are concealed from view through opening 18. The casing is provided with an opening 25, registering with opening 18, and with curved reflecting surfaces 26 and 27, whereby when the lamps are lighted the rays are directed through the perforations of the drum causing the advertisements or legends to appear on plate 14. Drum 15 has fixed on its upper end a ratchet wheel 28 and said wheel and drum are adapted to be rotated by a pawl 29 mounted on an arm 30 fixed on a rotatable sleeve 31. Sleeve 31 is loosely mounted on a stub shaft 32 of ratchet wheel 28 and said shaft and sleeve telescope within the hollow tubular armature 33-of an electromagnet 34. Armature 33 is provided with a key 35 engaging in a groove 36 of the magnet spool, so that while the armature may move in a longitudinal direction it IS prevented from rotating by the key and groove above described. A spring 87 surrounds the armature, one end of said spring bearing against the magnet spool and its opposite end bearing against an annular flange on the armature. Longitudinal movement of the armature is converted into rotary movement of the ratchet mechanism by a pin 38 on the armature which engages in a spiral groove 39 of sleeve 31.

Electrical current is supplied to lamps 21, 22, and magnet 34 by line wires 40 and 41, illumination of the lamps and operation of the magnet being controlled by a switch 42 preferably secured on door-case 8 and inter posed in the line provided by said wires. The switch is provided with any suitable means for throwing the same. here shown as a forked operating lever 43, pivoted on the switch casing by means of a bolt or pin 44. The forked end of lever '43 is adapted to engage a detent 45 secured on the door, this engagement being effected oninitial movement of the door to open the same and upon final closing movement of the door. The switch, magnet and lamps are connected in parallel with the source of electrical current by means of leads 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50, 51, the circuit and connections being shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 8.

On initial movement of door 5 to open the same, detent 45 will swing switch lcver 43 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, thereby closing the circuit to the lamps and magnet, causing the lamp to light and energizing the magnet. Current flo v ing through the magnet windings causes armature 38 to be drawn within the magnet spool, thus compressing spring 37. Inward movement of the armature causes pin 88 to 7 travel in spiral groove 39 of sleeve. 31. there byimpaiting rotary movement to the latter and causing arm 30 to move. in a ClUtliWlr t. direction to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 10. A pawl 29 engaging the ratchet wheel prevents movement of drum 15 when arm 30 is rotated in the clockwise direction. In the final closing movement of door 5', detent 45 again engages switch lever 43, swinging the same to the full line position shown in Fig. 6, thereby breaking the circuit to the lamps and magnet. Spring 37 then withdraws the armature from the magnet spool, causing the pawl and ratchet mechanism to move in a counter-clockwise direction until the pawl contacts with a stop 30. This winner-clockwise movement of the pawl and ratchet mechanism causes partial rotation of drum 15 in the same direction so that the next time the door is opened and the lamps lighted, a. different sign or advertisement will be displayed on plate 14. The arrangement and operation of the parts is such'that each time the door is opened and closed, drum 15 will be moved one step, whereby the signs are successively displayed by sucion cessive opening and closing movements of the door.

Figs. 13 to 15 inclusive show a sign-box 52 mounted on a screen door 53. The switch 5etmay be of any well known type having a spring normally holding the contacts. apart. Said switch is housed in a suitable recess in one side of the door, and is provided with a push plate 55 secured on a movable part 56 of the switch. Plate 55 is attached to the free ends of guard bars 57, 57 which extend across the screen panel, said bars being pivotally mounted at their opposite ends on pivots 58, 58 of a bracket 59 secured on the door. Line wires 60, G0, in which switch 54 is interposed, supply electrical current to'the lamps and magnet (not shown). Pressure against the push plate or guard bars to open the door will close the switch, whereupon the sign will be illuminated and displayed as above described. When the push plate and guard bars are released to let the door swing closed, the switch spring acts tore/store the parts to their normally inoperative position, the circuit to the lamps and magnet thus being broken as the door is closing.

It will be observed that by mounting the sign, the lamp and the reflector for illuminating the same and other incidental parts all in a single box or casing, which box or casing may be attached to the face of the door or door-case, all necessity for cutting away any part of the door or otherwise defacing it is obviated. Moreover, the switch mechanism for controlling the flow of current to the lamp is so mounted that no defaoement or cutting of the door or doorcase is required. Both these parts, to wit, the box or sign-casing and the switch mechanism, can be quickly and readily installed by an unskilled mechanic. These featuresenable the sign to be constructed and in stalled at a minimum price and therefore places such signs within the means of a large number of dealers to whom the more expensive and more complicated signs would be prohibitive.

\Vhat is claimed is 1 1. In combination, a door, a sign casing removably mounted on the face of the door, a movable sign within the casing, a lamp within the casing for illuminating the sign,

electrically actuated means for moving the sign, a door frame, a switch removably mounted on the door frame, an electric circuit including the electrically actuated sign moving means, the lamp, the switch and a source of electrical energy, and a detent on the door for operating the switch.

2. In combination, a door, a rotatable sign, means for illuminating the sign, means for moving the sign, and means controlled by movement of the door for actuating said illuminating means when the door is opened and said sign moving means when the door is closed.

3. In a device of the character described, a door, a sign casing mounted on the face of the door, a rotatable sign within the casing, an expansible spring for rotating the sign, and electrical means controlled by movement of the door for contracting the spring.

4. I11 combination, a door, a sign casing, a rotatable sign within the casing, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for rotating said sign, an expansible spring for actuating said pawl and ratchet mechanism, a reciprocable armature for contracting said spring, and electrical means controlled by the movement of the door for reciprocating the armature.

5. In combination, a door, a sign casing mounted on the face of the door, a rotatable sign within the casing, a ratchet wheel secured to one end of the sign and provided with a stub shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on the stub shaft and provided with a spiral groove, a pawl carried by the sleeve and adapted to engage teeth on the ratchet wheel,'an electromagnet, a hollow armature reciprocally mounted within the electro magnet and adapted to be retracted when. the electromagnet is energized, a spring for normally holding the armature in extended position, a pin carried by the armature and adapted to engage the spiral slot in the sleeve whereby reciprocatory movement of the armature is converted into rotary movement of the sleeve, and an electric circuit controlled by the movements of the door for energizing said electromagnet.

6. In combination, a door, a sign casing mounted on the face of the door, a rotatable sign within the casing, a ratchet wheel secured to one end of the sign and provided with a stub shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on the stub shaft and provided with a spiral groove, a pawl carried by the sleeve and adapted to engage teeth 011 the ratchet Wheel, an electromagnet, a hollow armature reciprocally mounted within the electromagnet and adapted to be retracted when the electromagnet is energized, a spring for normally holding the armature in extended. position, a pin carried by the armature and adapted to engage the spiral slot in the sleeve whereby reciprocatory movement of the armature is: converted into rotary move ment of the sleeve, a door frame, a switch on the door frame, an electric circuit including the electromagnet, the switch, and a. source of electric current, and a detent carried by the door for actuating the switch whereby the electromagnet is energized when the door is opened and deenergized when the door is closed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

OTHO C. DURYEA. 

